The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-25
PRENTY'S VICTIM DEAD.
SHERMAN BACON'S SLAYER
CHARGED WITH MURDER.

1f1A1GED VIII II M ~ ROIlh.
The Coroner's Investigation of the
Louisville Road Tragedy - Negroes
Excited Over the Affair-The Testi-
mony at the Inquest-Prenty in Jail
Awaiting the Action of the Grand
Jury.
The shooting of Sherman Bacon col
ored) by William Prenty, ON the
Louisville road Monday afternoon, ter
minated fatally yesterday morning. In
the absence of Coroner Dixon, Magistrate
NJ F. Molina conducted the inquest at Ba-
cons home. The jury was composed of
eleven negroes and one white man. The YER
dict was something of surprise, but Justice
Molina said that nothing else could be ex-
pected, as the whole neighborhood, where
the shooting occurred, is excited over the
affair, and almost to man the negroes,
who constitute the community, refuse to be-
lieve anything but that it was a willful muir
der.
Prenty was not at the inquest. The acting
Coroner was confident that no matter what
the verdict might be Prenty's presence would
serve only to cause trouble and it might
kcdu W uIlItSlt dDlO IcoulOc, ~ LIS
was not taken.
The first witness examined was Jake
Woods, who testified that he entered UNI
bach's saloon and asked for whisky. Prenty
gave him the whisky and he then called for
beer. Prenty then asked Bacon for cigar,
saying, II treated to beer now you must
treat to cigars While he was drinking
the beer Bacon stepped away and Prenty
took up the shotgun and aimed it at Woods
head. Woods jumped back and the gun
went off, the charge taking effect in Bacon's
abdomen. Woods testified that neither
Bacon nor he had had any words with
Prenty After the gun went off Prenty
threw it on the counter and started for the
door, saying he would take horse and go
for a doctor Woods stated that the
shot struck a water cooler, went through it
and struck Bacon.
The testimony of James Houston was cor
roborative of Woods testimony, and he
added that when Woods knocked the gun to
one side Prenty pulled both the triggers. He
testified that Prenty said to him that he
would kill some of those negroes before he
left the place.
James Bacon, who WIS standing beside
Sherman when the latter was hit, said that
he did not know of any ill feeling existing
between P-eptv and any of the men,
William Kicks, who was in the store at
the time of the shooting, testified that
Prenty said to Woods: ''You said something
to me Saturday night, and if you say it
again I'll shoot you. have got pistols
here, but a shotgun will shoot better than
the pistols" He thought Prenty would have
killed Woods if the latter had not knocked
the gun out of range.
Thomas Moore, who went out in the
morning with Prenty to shoot the cows,
said that he loaded the gun with No. shot
and Prenty knew it was loaded.
Woods was also examined regarding what
Prenty had said Saturday night, but he
testified that he had not heard Plenty make
any such statemeGt, and would not have
understood it if he had, for they had no
words on Saturday night.
After the testimony was all in, Acting
Coroner Molina charged the jury and it
retired While it was celebrating negro
in the road began talking about the shoot
ing in a very excited manner, and was
evidently bent on exciting the negroes to
mischief, Mr.. Umbach, proprietor of
the store, called the attention of Coroner
Molina TO him and the Coroner sent him
home under the penalty of arrest if he
returned or attempted further to create a
disturbance After discussing the testi
mony for half an hour the jury returned
the following verdict
We, the jury, find that Sherman Bacon came
10 his death from gunshot wound caused by q
double barrelled shotgun in the hands of Viii
liam Joseph Prenty, and we find it willful muir
der.
A commitment was made out for Prenty
and he will be held to await the action of
the grand july The general impression
concerning the verdict is that it is not in
accordance with the facts in the case. Nc
motive for tire shooting was shown, as il
was proved that the gun was not pointed al
Bacon, but that the charge passed through a
water cooler before striking him.